Seoul: Unification Minister nominee Chung Dong-young stated that he does not concur with the perspective of North Korea being South Korea's "main enemy," instead describing it as a "threat." Chung expressed his views during a parliamentary confirmation hearing, countering the former conservative Yoon Suk Yeol administration's stance, which labeled the North Korean regime and military as South Korea's "enemy" in the 2022 defense white paper.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Chung's remarks highlight a shift from South Korea's historical stance, which first identified North Korea as its main enemy in the 1995 defense white paper. The terminology was softened to "direct military threat" in 2004 amid efforts to foster a reconciliatory atmosphere between the two Koreas. The Yoon administration revived the "enemy" label in 2022 after the Moon Jae-in administration omitted it in the 2018 and 2020 editions.
In a broader context, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un recently characterized inter-Korean relations as hostile and dismissed the possibility of reconciliation and unification. He labeled South Korea as North Korea's "primary foe." Chung, however, suggested a potential path forward, proposing the restoration of a now-suspended inter-Korean military tension reduction pact. This agreement, originally signed in 2018, aims to halt hostile acts and create buffer zones to prevent conflicts.
Chung also proposed the idea of renaming the Ministry of Unification to the Ministry of the Korean Peninsula, reflecting the changing dynamics between the two Koreas. This suggestion comes amid debates over the appropriateness of the current name, given North Korea's disinterest in unification.
The proposal has sparked controversy, with some liberal experts advocating for the change to alleviate North Korea's suspicions about South Korea's intentions. Conversely, conservative voices and some former liberal unification ministers oppose the change, fearing it might signal a retreat from the goal of peaceful unification as stipulated in South Korea's Constitution.
Chung attributed North Korea's "two hostile states" rhetoric to the previous South Korean administration's hard-line approach. He advocated for a pragmatic approach, similar to the unification of East and West Germany, emphasizing exchanges and cooperation while acknowledging the reality of two separate states.
Chung also referenced former President Moon Jae-in's 2017 proposal to suspend joint military exercises with the United States, which facilitated the resumption of inter-Korean dialogue during the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics. He emphasized the importance of discussing such issues within the National Security Council.
Chung, a journalist-turned-lawmaker, was nominated last month as the first unification minister under the Lee Jae Myung administration. He previously served as unification minister from 2004 to 2005 under former President Roh Moo-hyun.